Long Live the Village Green was once a blog in which I shared my concerns for our earth's well being, while exploring ways to make my life more sustainable and less harmful to the planet. Time passes and focus shifts, especially when forces array themselves against the public school system. As a public school teacher, I see top-down decisions destroying years of progress and growth. This blog will now focus on speaking truth to those who would privatize education.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

If I owned coastal property, I think I'd want to invest in a hurricane-proof monolithic dome house. One of these. They're green and sustainable. And they can make it through wild fires, hurricanes or tornadoes. For more dome information and discussion, try this forum. If I couldn't afford a dome, I'd go for a non-polluting grass shack.

However, it isn't enough to build safe housing. The coast itself has been drained of the necessary wetlands to protect the inner coast. As everyone waits down the latest hurricane, I wonder if the necessary radical changes to coastal habitation and conservation will ever be addressed. Or will people simply continue to rebuild in the same old ways?

Friday, August 29, 2008

When I began this blog at the end of summer in 2006, the City of Akron was rolling out the new green trash bins along with blue recycle bins for paper, glass and plastic containers marked #1 and #2. I owe my growing passion for recycling and environmental issues to the city for initiating their program, because it lead me to ask, "What am I supposed to do with plastics three, four, five, six and seven?" You can see my initial question in the heading intro at the top of this blog.

I have been informed by a source from a local non-profit environmental group that Akron will start collecting all plastics as of this October, the city having found a company that is willing to handle all our plastics for recycling! The day this happens will be a great day for our city, even if few of us actually celebrate it.

It sounds like the folks who have been working on Akron's Greenprint have taken their task seriously and have already found ways to make major positive changes in the way we deal with our trash. We have our work cut out for us:

Akron ranks 62nd in per capita carbon emissions among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas. The average Akron resident is said to have produced 2.637 tons of carbon, from highway transportation and residential energy in 2005 compared to 2.60 tons of carbon emitted by the average American from transportation and residential energy. The study indicates Akron’s per capita footprint increased 8.47% in these two areas between 2000 and 2005. [Keep Akron Beautiful]

It is time to stop the carbon spewing and find healthy sustainable ways of living in Akron. So many sidewalks and so few citizens actually walking from place to place! We need to continue to make our neighborhoods safe, friendly and green!

So how come the only female candidates we get are losers? Because I sure hope Palin helps sink the GOP ship this November. Even so, I still have to wonder how many cracks in the glass ceiling before we finally get a real break-through?

Palin sounds like my polar opposite (just check out the Vogue cover and it is made instantly clear) so I'm trying to figure out how McCain could possibly think she would attract women who voted for Hillary. Palin is anti-women's reproductive rights, doesn't believe in global warming, won't save polar bears, loves to shoot animals and eat them, is a former beauty queen, and looks like someone Tina Fey would have no problem playing on Saturday Night Live.

McCain tried to upstage Obama's brilliant speech from last night with this obvious pandering for ultra right votes while going after an aura daring forward thinking by putting up the first GOP VP candidate ever. However, the focus on McCain's choice of an inexperienced right wing zealot might get blown away by Hurricane Gustav come Monday, the first day of the GOP Convention. The talk will be all Gustav and Katrina and Republican inability to take care of this nation.

We hope the still suffering people of New Orleans are getting sufficient help to evacuate safely and in a timely manner. And that the repaired levees hold. And that no life is lost.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Fantastic speech tonight! I'm listening to the bloviacs on MSNBC tell me what to think about what I heard and saw tonight. Mostly, I've avoided the pundits this convention week. It's been much more interesting to watch the unedited CSPAN coverage.

Last night I kind of dozed out in the middle of it all. Bill Clinton has never been one of my favorite politicians, his folksy voice and demeanor, not to mention his far from progressive policies, were not my cup of tea. I did wake up in time to see Jon Stewart's coverage of the prior night. A half hour of Jon and company is worth far more than 6 non-stop hours of MSNBC. And what's with all the public feuding over there, anyway? How unprofessional can you get? Even Rachel Maddow looks stressed beyond measure.

As a former Hillary voter (but one who never did send her any campaign funds), I never had any doubt after she lost the primary that I'd be voting for Barack Obama over John McCain. I think Obama has grown immensely over the campaign, and I look forward to him stepping it up even more for the debates.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Okay, quick -- which band covered You Really Got Me that started off Hillary's introduction video? I don't know -- didn't sound like Van Halen -- and it is driving me nuts! Regular readers may well guess that I was up and screaming when I heard that Kinks riff!

Green collar jobs are very much on the minds of Democrats across the country. Ohio has got to kick it in gear and get with the greening process, because if we don't, every alternative energy project we want to do will have to look for workers outside the state. We need technical and engineering training in support of the green economy. Kathleen Sebelius referred to her state's motto "ad Astra per Aspera" -- to the stars with difficulty -- as how we must view our movement forward to energy efficiency. I hope the Dems stick with this message and that the American public is finally ready to put our best brains and effort into a sustainable future.

What a grand night for the Democrats! From an impressive display of Democratic women senators and governors to working class people who had obviously never spoken into a microphone before and then the lively and fun governor of Montana who got the crowd really focused and ready for Hillary's speech.

And what a speech it was! She gave everybody their due, and provided the Obama campaign with great footage for countless commercials. Fabulous lines skewering the Republicans and igniting everybody who wants to see this country move toward health and happiness and away from terror alerts and bankruptcy. She had me in tears at many parts of the speech. As a woman, I could not help be moved deeply by her efforts and her accomplishments on behalf of those of us who still are making only 77 cents for every dollar that men make. I think that figure has stayed the same all of my adult life.

Monday, August 25, 2008

I figured out quickly that the best view of the convention was the one unadorned by punditry and available only on CSpan. I got to listen to every speech without interruptions and make up my own mind about what was said. If you didn't hear Jesse Jackson Jr's speech, you weren't watching CSpan.

There were plenty of other interesting voices on display, including a moderate Republican former Representative Jim Leach, who although looking typically Republican in appearance, came across as a man of principle. I cannot help but think that a country with more moderate and liberal Republicans would be better for us all, regardless of party affiliation.

The big speeches tonight were total tear-duct opening events. Ted Kennedy's speech with his big rousing words drowned out all the pettiness (from pundits mostly) and set the convention floor on fire. At home, I was cheering so loud, I startled the faithful huskador retriever out of his deep sleep. I hope he is indeed on the senate floor next January, ready to turn us all toward the notion that yes, health care for all should be a basic human right.

Michelle Obama was utterly delightful and such a splendid image of strength, intellect and caring. Loved the kids, the brother, the mother. Splendid people, these new millennium Democrats!

I had MSNBC on prior to the start of the evening and tuned back over after the final speech to see if the pundits had stopped talking about possible trouble with the Clintons and/or the latest polls. Tom Brokaw is now on my list of people to switch off as soon as I see his arrogant face. The way he spoke to Nancy Pelosi on Meet the Press yesterday was demeaning. He must have caught a bad case of Tim Russertitis, as he tried to go for the gotcha on various topics. Questioning her about off-shore drilling, he refused to hear her very realistic answer in which she bluntly stated that the Dems will use off-shore drilling to reel in Republican votes on clean energy initiatives. Simply because it suited him, Brokaw refused to acknowledge her logic, rather cut her off with a dismissive, "So it sounds like we will have off-shore drilling," and then on to another attack.

I don't put much stock in those NBC/MSNBC babblers. They aren't happy unless there is controversy and quite frankly, the Dems look ready to pull together and go for the gold. I know I am ready for that.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Hey, Joe Biden just sent me an email with a link to the video embedded below. Thanks Joe and thanks Barack for the direct emails straight from all the horses' and their buddies' mouths. I've already heard from Nancy P and Harry R. I'm sure Howard D will be touching base before too long.

No need to go into post-Olympics let-down. On with the conventions! Let the spectacles continue!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I know, I said I'd be writing about green collar jobs, and I have lots to share about and expound upon that subject. But it is that time of the year -- the start of school looms over all teachers, students and their families. We are scurrying to get things ready, so we'll all have to wait until the week ends before I can get back to blogging.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Dr. Lonnie G. Thompson, keynote speaker at the Green Energy Expo this past weekend in Akron, has been studying ice cores for decades. Over the years, he has spent months at a time living at the highest altitudes where he has observed glaciers retreating at alarming rates. And he had the photographs to prove it.

An adviser to Al Gore during the making of An Inconvenient Truth, Dr. Thompson shared his own perspectives on climate change in the words of a scientist rather than a politician attempting to interpret science. With evident passion, he described his life's work as a paleoclimatologist, work that involves drilling for ice cores, the study of which allow scientists to study the trapped bubbles of atmosphere from over 800,000 years ago. These ice cores contain rings that like tree trunks give us scientific data as to amounts of carbon in the air.

Like Al Gore's presentation, Dr Thompson's also included charts that showed the steady ebb and flow of carbon in the atmosphere across the eons, forming along an unchanging horizontal line. Until the age of the Industrial Revolution, at which point the line begins its relentless rise upwards. The implications are profound and growing more urgent as each year passes.

As we looked at the images of glaciers retreating, we see that we are not only losing essential sources of water for vast swaths of the earth, we are also losing our planet's history. Dr Thompson's specialty are tropical mountain glaciers, which are melting at such a rate that Dr Thompson says in fifteen years, ice cores will only be found in the archives of the Ohio State University.

One example he gave -- nuclear tests by the US and Soviet Russia were captured in the rings of ice cores, and were routinely used as a dating tool in studying ice cores. The radiation rings once so evident are no longer found in the ice cores, indicating that the last 50+ years of snow and ice have melted away completely. In less than 30 years, there will be no more glaciers at Glacier Park.

In the dispassionate tones of a scientist, Dr Thompson described where our planet is heading in the next few years. We are fast approaching a climate change that will be unlike any climate on earth before us. Never has so much carbon been released into the atmosphere, but as he stated, you can "take it to the US Senate and get glazed eyes." Nobody in charge wants to face the facts that we are fast approaching a tipping point that will bring huge losses of life, both flora and fauna, not to mention the loss of human life from lack of drinking water and the raising of oceans from glacier melts.

But Dr Thompson did not leave us to wallow in despair. He seems to think that we can effect change from the ground up. He has high hopes for alternative fuels that will lead to cleaner air and water, economic development and good jobs. The big problem, as I see it, is that most people do not have a clue what's at stake and what to do about it. We are still living as if nothing is wrong other than, "gee whiz, gas prices are going up. We better start some off shore drilling so we don't run out of fossil fuels during our life time."

In truth, there were several dozen people listening to Dr Thompson's message this past Saturday in Akron. The rest of our citizenry were out driving their SUVs, mindlessly buying and consuming stuff that will end up in a landfill before too long. I fear we will not take action until some catastrophe strikes when it might be too late.

The residents of Greensburg, Kansas, were struck by a tornado and decided to rebuild according to green specifications. Will we have to wait for a tornado to hit Akron before we come to our senses here? Building codes need to be re-written. Every Community Learning Center being built in our city should be designed for energy conservation and out of sustainable materials. Our schools and universities should be gearing up training for the green collar jobs everybody keeps talking about.

I have many stories to share from yesterday's Northeast Ohio Green Energy Expo held at the John S Knight Center --enough blogging for at least a week or more! But the biggest news I heard at the Expo was undoubtedly about the new solar and wind energy rebates that will be available to Ohio residents starting in October of this year. While business incentives have been in place for awhile now, this will be the first time that individual homeowners will also be given an initial financial boost toward purchasing and installing a solar energy system.

With Governor Strickland's signing of Ohio's Renewable Energy bill into law, Ohio leaped into third place (behind only California and Illinois) in its commitment to making alternative forms of energy a way of life. Rate payers are now being charged 9 cents monthly by the four major energy companies in Ohio (First Energy, AEP, Duke, and Dayton Power and Light). That money is collected the state government to issue state grants for renewable forms of energy.

The rules for application are:

1. Residents must live in Ohio2. Residents must be on the grid and customers of one of the four previously mentioned power companies.3. Residents must seek an installer who is on the state's list of official installers.4. The installer will fill out the paperwork to apply for the rebate.5. The money goes to the installer, not the resident, who will then adjust the cost to the consumer.

The solar program will offer a rebate rate of $3.00 per per watt, up to a cost of $25,ooo.

The wind program will offer a rebate of $2.50 a kwh or 50 percent of the total ,to a maximum of $25,000.

A solar thermal program will be available only to owners of multi-family buildings.

No geothermal program was discussed and unfortunately, there will be no incentives for energy efficiency.

Full details will be found at ohioenergyoffice.ohio.gov shortly. You can also keep abreast of details by visiting Green Energy Ohio's web page.

Friday, August 15, 2008

I first heard about Polyflow this past May at an E4S meeting in Akron and blogged about this amazing new process to convert plastics into a liquid that can be used to create new products. Unfortunately, I didn't spell the company's name correctly. (Corrections have been made to that post as of today.) Thanks to a report I watched on WKYC TV 3 last night, I realized that I had linked to the wrong company. Polyflow is actually in Akron and is in the process of patenting its process so that it can eventually build processing centers across the United Sates and eventually around the world. From the Polyflow website:

Polyflow cracks mixed polymer waste back to its building blocks, monomers. These monomers, normally derived from crude oil and natural gas are used by the petrochemical industry to make polymers.

Polyflow is revolutionary because it will end two major hassles with recycling plastics: 1. The materials do not need to be cleaned of any residue, plastic tape, stickers, lables and so on. 2. We will no longer need to separate plastics from our trash according to number. Currently, only plastics one and two are recyclable in Akron and most other cities. Everything else ends up in the landfill, where it breaks down into toxic components that are capable of leaching out into the water table and the surrounding earth and air.

If you want to see the process in action, Polyflow has a really cool video at their web site. You will see how the process not only transforms the plastics, it also separates out the metals for recycling as well and the entire process will reduce greehouse gases by 70% If this process lives up to what is claimed, we will reduce our dependence upon foreign oil by 7%. It will also reduce the loads dumped into landfills, which might upset the folks at the Summit-Akron Solid Waste Authority. According to this ABJ report, the waste authority gets its funding based upon the amount of stuff that is dumped into the landfills!

Anybody see a huge problem with having an agency to monitor landfills that is funded in such a manner? They are complaining because the amount of waste dumped has decreased! You see, the waste authority is paid $5 per ton to fund their operation. Nobody seems to know why the amount of trash has decreased. It would be nice to think that more and more people have decided enough with this toxic consumerist way of life and are busy freecycling their old junk instead.

We do need an agency to monitor our waste disposal systems for the safety and health of us all. But in light of the advent of Polyflow, perhaps the waste authority should be paid $5 for every ton per year decrease in stuff sent to the landfill. That would be an incentive for the agency to find even more ways to decrease the waste.

Meanwhile, good luck to Polyflow. I sure hope that we in Akron are the first to benefit from this process -- wouldn't that be something to blog about!

As Akron gets ready to host the Green Energy Expo tomorrow, we find good news about solar and geothermal in two NYT articles today.

California will benefit greatly from two new solar power plants being built there. From the article by Matthew Wald:

The plants will cover 12.5 square miles of central California with solar panels, and in the middle of a sunny day will generate about 800 megawatts of power, roughly equal to the size of a large coal-burning power plant or a small nuclear plant.

One of the plants will be built using the a new thin film material while the other will use crystal silicon. The article notes that the solar plants will provide their highest energy during the afternoons when demand is highest.

Thanks to forward looking governments in some states, solar developments are surging ahead. Here's a company that has invented a solar film that may very well replace costly PV panels.

The other NYT article by Liz Galst focuses on geothermal heating systems. The demand is huge and the payoff to consumers worried about reliance on petroleum products for home or business heating is very attractive. The article states that for large commercial buildings, the savings could begin in only two to three years.

Geothermal systems, it should be noted, provide both heating and cooling using a heat pump that circulates water through pipes down into the earth, where only 6 ft below temperatures are a steady 55 degrees. The Akron Zoo's Komodo Dragon house is heated and cooled using a geothermal system. The pipes can be placed either horizontally at 6 feet under or vertically from 200 to 300 feet down.

It sounds like a no-brainer that Americans should become leaders in adopting and developing this technology. Heating and cooling from the benign depths of the earth or from filthy coal plants or dangerous nuclear plants -- what is there to debate? The House of Reps has given an ok for a push in this direction, but the Senate has yet to act. From the article:

The industry may find sales and workloads booming even further should Congress pass and the president sign the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008. The legislation, sponsored by Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat who is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, would extend tax credits of up to $4,000 through the end of 2014 to homeowners who have ground source heat pumps installed. (The bill offers no aid to businesses.) The House approved the bill in May, and it is awaiting action in the Senate.

The biggest problems with geothermal is that demand is far surpassing the available supplies, equipment and especially skilled workers. When politicians talk about green collar jobs, this is an area they should be acting upon, not just talking possibilities.

Most public school systems have "career education" tracks that have traditionally trained students for careers in heating and air conditioning, auto mechanics and the building trades. I wonder how many school systems have begun to switch over to the trades of the future that are rapidly becoming the trades most needed right now?

If I walked down Kenmore Blvd, would I find a store front business with a heat pump contractor employing kids trained at Kenmore High School in geothermal system technology? How long do I have to wait for that to happen? As the NYT article states, "With this kind of growth, mom and pop shops can benefit as much as any of the big guys..."

Thursday, August 14, 2008

As the last week of summer break for this teacher draws to a close, I'm happy to report that the thesis writing project is also reaching the final stages. There are a few holes left to fill in and then it must be examined by my academic advisers who will no doubt have valuable critiques that call for revisions here and there. But the bulk of it feels like it will stand on two legs and make its way through the official channels and eventually end up in electronic format for all to peruse.

I look forward to blogging regularly once again as well as having more time for participation in local events both environmental and theatrical. After attending last night's E4S session on commercial applications for solar power investment, I feel a wee bit more hopeful about Akron's chances of stepping forward and taking leadership in becoming energy efficient. The need to educate the public and private sectors remains paramount.

Last night we looked at solar installations at some forward-looking NEOhio businesses. Lake Erie Business Park near Toledo is installing a massive solar panel display on their roof. Prospective renters will benefit from lower energy costs, making this incubator highly attractive.

What most people don't get is how many grants and tax credits are available for commercial solar installations. Panel members at the presentation last night put up their figures for a number of installations and we could see how the initial cost figures are rapidly reduced by taking advantage of both federal and state assistance. Sorry I didn't take the time to write down the exact figures, but I can tell you we were all impressed to see 100k plus projects whittled down to a start up figure of between 20 and 30 thousand dollars.

The biggest hill to get over is resistance to invest in something that takes five to ten years before savings show up in energy expenditures. And yet, the solar panels (which are the most expensive part of the package) are good for 50 years. The electrical apparatus (not nearly so costly) will need to be replaced once every 20 years. Meanwhile, we know for sure that energy costs are on the rise. Both First Energy and AEP are petitioning to raise rates -- not just slightly, either! AEP is pushing for a 45% rate increase! First Energy is going for at least a 15% increase over the next three years.

If you live in or near the Akron area, don't forget the Green Energy Expo this Saturday at the JS Knight Center. It's free to attend and features an exposition of 50 plus vendors as well as a keynote address by Dr Lonnie G Thompson, on Retreating Glaciers: A Paleoclimate Perspective from the World's Highest Mountains. Dr Thompson was a featured adviser to Al Gore in the making of the Inconvenient Truth documentary. The afternoon will feature breakout sessions on a wide array of green energy issues, including solar, wind, wood gasifcation, LED lighting, energy efficiency, creating a sustainable office, investing in the green economy, and much much more -- and as cannot be stated too often -- it's free and open to the public!

September 10 -- put this date on your calendar so that you will attend the next E4S Akron session, at which the group working on Akron's Greenprint will be presenting some of their ideas and soliciting responses.

Friday, August 08, 2008

When I read about the 10 million solar roof act, I popped over to Senator Brown's web site and sent a message in support of that bill. I wasn't prompted to do so by MoveOn.org or the numerous other progressive and/or Democratic groups who are always calling for mass emails to various persons of power. Nope, I did it because I thought it was a very cool green idea that would help give this country a kick start in its way too complacent and cushioned rear.

Did nobody get what Al Gore just said a few weeks back? Is no one paying attention to all the penguins dying, the seas filling with plastic dead zones and on and on? To get ten million solar roofs up in 1o years means getting a whole lot of folks involved in manufacturing and installing these things, and it gives people of moderate and working class incomes the opportunity to benefit from lower energy costs. Heck, I want to be first in line for one of those 10 million solar roofs!

So in a temporary burst of feeling like one email could matter, I wrote to Senator Brown. Forgot all about it until I received this emailed reply today. I don't care if it was written by a staffer or is one of a dozen canned responses -- it is still music to my ears! Senator Brown is a smart guy and he clearly sees what is needed in terms of an energy policy for this country. Senator Obama would do well to start singing the same green notes.

I appreciate hearing your ideas and agree that we need bold, innovative approaches that enhance our nation’s energy security. We need to create a new approach to energy policy where we move away from subsidizing 19th century resources like coal, oil, and natural gas and broaden our energy portfolio by investing in the clean, renewable energy sources that will power the 21st century.

For far too long our country has pursued a policy of consumption rather than conservation when it comes to energy usage. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on foreign oil, we must pursue significant and innovative energy-saving efforts. The recently passed energy bill included numerous energy efficiency initiatives as well as an increase in fuel economy standards. This legislation not only provides common-sense ways to reduce consumption, but fundamentally changes our nation’s approach to energy policy.

It is also important that we provide the funds needed to rapidly develop our next generation energy sources and technology. That is why I introduced the Green Energy Production Act (S.2940). This bill would provide the resources and encourage the entrepreneurship needed to bring alternative energy sources to the marketplace and make our schools and communities more energy efficient.

Sound and sustainable energy policy must be a national priority as we work to bring green-collar jobs to Ohio, lessen the impact of climate change, and strengthen our nation's energy security. Thank you again for writing and I will keep your support in mind as future energy legislation comes before the Senate.

Sincerely,Sherrod Brown

You can read the full text of Senator Brown's proposed bill here. It is full of practical ways to turn our communities into energy efficient neighborhoods, providing funds for energy research and development. It also addresses the need to set up training and apprenticeship opportunities in green energy businesses. We are going to need a workforce that automatically thinks in terms of sustainable, energy-saving, non-toxic solutions to how we house, feed, cloth and furnish our lives.

Reading that bill, I started thinking about the idea of a green Kenmore once more. Filling up all those empty store fronts on Kenmore Blvd with green businesses. Squeezing out the game of chance parlors and putting in shops filled with products manufactured out of recycled materials. Further on down the boulevard, there are blocks of small manufacturing buildings that could be set to work recycling materials and manufacturing products that are ecologically safe. And wouldn't it be great to have solar, wind and geothermal production training programs in the Career Ed track at Kenmore High School? Senator Brown's bill would provide the funds to do just that.

If you think this bill is a good idea, whether you are from Ohio or any other state, write to your senators in support of it. Tell 'em what you think and help spread the word.

Volunteer spots are still available:Volunteers are the backbone of the annual Burning River Fest and there's still time to help make this year's event the best yet. Duties range from admissions to bike parking attendants to merchandise sellers to recycling educators and most duties only require three hours of volunteer time. Volunteers receive one Burning River Fest t-shirt, food/activity tickets and admission/parking passes. Become a volunteer today by registering online at www.burningriverfest.org.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Be sure to mark Saturday, August 16th on your calendar -- you won't want to miss the Green Energy Expo at the J S Knight Center. Free and open to the public. Here is the scoop for vendors, participants and sponsors:

WHO:

Green Energy Ohio, the JohnS.KnightCenter, the Akron Community Foundation and other sponsors.

Dr. Thompson is one of the world's foremost authorities on paleoclimatology and glaciology.He has led more than 50 expeditions during the last 30 years, conducting ice-core drillingprograms in the world's polar regions as well as in the tropical and subtropical ice fields.Thompson was an advisor to former Vice President Al Gore in the production of his 2006documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."

Two major green events are taking place this August in Akron. I would like to encourage all my local readers to attend. At one event you will have the opportunity to discover what is available locally in terms of going solar and at the other event, discover products and services that can help you build or renovate in green sustainable ways. Both events are free and open to the public.

August 13th is the Akron Entrepreneurs for Sustainability meeting (Info below)August 16th is the NEOhio Green Energy Expo at the J S Knight center. (info in the following post)

Making Cents of Solar for Business // Learn from regional success stories

Join the E4S Network on August 13 as we explore when solar makes sense and cents for commercial and industrial applications in our region. What are the solar myths, realities, and resources available? E4S has asked local architects, installers and end-users to join us to share their experience and stories on commercial solar projects. We’ll talk about photovoltaics, solar thermal hot water heating and passive solar technology.

What do you need to know to be solar ready and understand the solar technology options for your business?

Discover the Possibilities with the E4S NetworkJoin 120+ leaders from business, government, academia and nonprofitorganizations as we explore the possibilities to bring triple bottom line benefits to your business or organization and the region. Discover how to reduce costs, generate new revenue opportunities, start new businesses or product lines while reducing environmental and climate impacts.

Event Sponsorships Available:E4S is actively seeking event and program sponsors to help grow the E4S Hub. Sponsorships start at $1,500 per event to reach nearly 6,000 people interested in building a sustainable economy in Northeast Ohio. Contact Holly for more information on sponsorship at (216) 451-7755.

Request a Display Table:If you have sustainable products or services for businesses, we welcome your display table request. A staff member will get back to you within a few days of your formsubmission. E4S Members receive $50 off tables. For more information, click here or call Peter at 216-451-7755.

Friday, August 01, 2008

I meant to post this earlier, but my blog was shut down by Blogger for 24 hours. For some reason, they thought it was a spam blog. How could they think that? We have no spam here, indeed no meat products whatsoever! We much prefer fruits and vegetables, of which you will find plenty at Lock 3 on Saturdays:

List of vendors:

vendors that will be participating at the FarmersMarket at Lock 3 this year: